Finite length diocotron modes

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Diocotron modes are discussed for a finite length nonneutral plasma column under the assumption of bounce averaged E×B drift dynamics and small Debye length. In this regime, which is common to experiments, Debye shielding forces the mode potential to be constant along field lines within the plasma (i.e., ∂δφ/∂z=0). One can think of the plasma as a collection of magnetic-field aligned rods that undergo E×B drift across the field and adjust their length so as to maintain the condition ∂δφ/∂z=0 inside the plasma. Using the Green function (for a region bounded by a conducting cylinder) to relate the perturbed charge density and the perturbed potential, imposing the constraint ∂δφ/∂z=0, and discretizing yields a matrix eigenvalue problem. The mode eigenvector δNl,ω(rj)≡∫dz δnl,ω(rj,z) is the lth azimuthal Fourier component of the z-integrated density perturbation, and the frequency ω is the eigenvalue. The solutions include the full continuum and discrete stable and unstable diocotron modes. Finite column length introduces a new set of discrete diocotron-like modes. Also, finite column length makes possible the exponential growth of l=1 diocotron modes, long observed in experiments. The paper focuses on these two problems. To approach quantitative agreement with experiment for the l=1 instabilities, the model is extended to include the dependence of a particle’s bounce averaged rotation frequency on its axial energy. For certain distributions of axial energies, this dependence can substantially affect the instability.